


Sophomore Efforts

by hgleiser



Series: Wrong Direction [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, M/M, Matchmaking, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 17:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6385609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hgleiser/pseuds/hgleiser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boyband AU returns!  In this installment, the five members of Wrong Direction hatch an ambitious plan to take Cupid's bow and arrow into their own hands.  Grazie mille to L. and K. for the beta/suggestions/feedback.</p><p>Rated teen for some swearing and just to be on the safe side, a warning: brief mention of Jenson's late father(rest in peace, Papa Smurf).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sophomore Efforts

Knock knock knock.

"Lewis?"

Knock knock.

"Lewis, it's Seb."

Knock knock knock.

"I know you're in there, I peeked in Nico's room."

At approximately half past midnight, Lewis pondered how easy it might be to lock Sebastian out of every door and window in the house.

"Lewis. Are you awake?"

Lewis groaned and turned over on his stomach, burying his face in the pillow to try to muffle the annoying sound of Sebastian's "entirely too chipper for this time of night" voice. "No. And you shouldn't be."

"If you weren't awake then why did you answer?"

_God, he can be annoying when he wants to be--which is, if I'm honest, most of the time._

"I talk in my sleep. Checkmate." 

"It's important, I promise."

"Seb, go back to snoring loud enough to wake the dead. The living are also trying to sleep. We've got press to do today, remember."

Sebastian opened the door a crack. "Secret meeting in ten minutes in Kimi's room."

"What? Man, this is the worst possible time..." Lewis burrowed further under the covers until the only things visible were his feet sticking out at the edge.

"It's the only time we have to be sure Mark and Fernando don't know what we are doing."

At that, Lewis's head gradually emerged from the other end. "If this is short-sheeting their beds or replacing the salt in the salt shaker with sugar again, I'm staying out of it."

"No, this is much better. See you there!"

Sebastian hurried down the hallway, leaving Lewis to sit up in bed and wonder what the hell kind of trouble they were about to get into _this_ time. They'd had secret meetings to organize pranks before, but they'd usually involved lounging by the pool on a hot afternoon with both the alcohol and the suggestions for how to go one better than the one before flowing freely out of Mark and Fernando's sights. _Why Kimi's room? I've never even been in there. None of us have. This is gonna feel like entering Area 51...or maybe I've watched Alien with Nico too many times._

When the _Sunday Times_ weekly magazine had labeled Kimi "a man of considerable mystery" in a profile piece published shortly before the release of their self-titled debut, there had been no argument around the breakfast table about its accuracy. He rarely gave interviews unless he felt he had something to say, turned down offers of commercials and print ads, refused to do cheesy "hi, this is (insert name here) and you're listening to (insert station here" recordings to be used in the States, and as Mark had said that morning "made a music career out of doing as he bloody well pleased". 

That was, it seemed, the appeal of Kimi for teenagers and twentysomethings the world over. "The girls keep chasing him," Fernando had once joked to a group of reporters outside their hotel in New York City, "because they think he will eventually say something. Sometimes I think is why he does it!"

The truth was that Kimi as well as Sebastian preferred to keep their personal lives as far away from their professional lives as possible, which as much as Lewis enjoyed Snapchatting and tweeting and Instagramming to his fans he could understand and thought he could see why that in a way extended to where he slept. Since they all lived together on three floors and worked together on stage, each of their rooms were the only spaces they had to themselves away from both the job and each other.  _Personal space. You gotta respect another man's personal space_ , he thought.  _Though that doesn't mean I'm not curious about it--now that I'm awake._

He pulled back the covers, rubbed his eyes, and made his way to the other end of the hall. "This had better be worth it."

"Lewis! Glad you could join us." Jenson waved to him from outside Kimi's door where he stood with Sebastian and Nico, who were conversing in rapid-fire German. "Sorry for the early wake up call but according to Seb it was the only option."

Lewis glared at the back of Sebastian's head, getting a bemused look from Nico in reponse. "Upset to be missing out on our beauty sleep, are we?"

"I guess Her Royal Highness Princess Rosberg doesn't need it," he retorted.

_Lucky you're the only one who gets away with calling me that,_ thought Nico.  _As if I'd accept a pink plastic tiara on my birthday from anyone else, much less hold on to it for going on a year now._

He lifted his chin and gave Lewis a mock self-satisfied smirk. "You know, some mornings I wake up like this."

A peculiar warmth radiated from within Lewis's chest then and he found himself wishing he could see Nico, all messy hair and husky voice from sleep, for himself.  _Preferably the view from my side of the bed to his._

"How would I know that?"

Nico's eyes glittered with mischief. "Perhaps in your dreams after this is over."

_If you only knew._

The sound of Sebastian clearing his throat suddenly brought them back to their senses and Lewis blinked a few times, the image of Nico in his mind's eye now shattered by who he thought was surely the four-time championship winner of World's Most Annoying Housemate.

"If you two..." Sebastian gestured toward he and Nico. "...are finished wanting to stick your tongues down each other's throats I'll get us in."

Jenson giggled then immediately feigned innocence with his hand over his mouth, earning the two of them "fuck off" looks from Lewis and Nico which they ignored as Sebastian knocked four times in succession.

The door opened just enough for Kimi to poke his head out. "M ikä on salasana?"

"The password? Come on, you know who we are," Sebastian chided him. "Let us in."

"Is more fun this way. Mikä on salasana?"

"I have a feeling it's the first word you taught me when you decided I needed to know some Finnish to mess with tourists when we tour. Paska."

Kimi gave him a thumbs-up and opened the door completely for Jenson, Lewis, and Nico to follow Sebastian inside before closing and locking it behind them. "Now we begin."

Nico ran his hand over the textured gray walls, recognizing them as similar to the ones in their studio on the other side of town. "Soundproofing. I'm sorry I almost thought you were kidding. How long ago did you have this done?"

"Last year I start to teach myself drums." He pointed to the corner of the room where a bright red drum kit and a low stool sat on top of an area rug to further muffle any noise. "I'm not good, but I'll get better. Also good because I never hear Seb."

Lewis and Nico collapsed into fits of laughter while Kimi took a seat on his bed, leaving Jenson to provide sympathy to the--if the exaggerated frown was any indication--exceptionally long-suffering Sebastian.

"If they think your snoring is a pain in the arse," Jenson muttered, "they should look at themselves." He slung his arm around Sebastian's shoulders and smiled feeling him lean into his side. "When I've had to share a double bed with any of them at an overbooked hotel I've hated it. Kimi's kicked me in his sleep, Lewis has slept in the center of the bed and not left me any room to stretch out, and if it's cold Nico coccoons himself in every blanket and sheet until there's nothing left. Trust me, anything you do can't compare."

"What's your behavior like in bed then?"

"Quite good if you ask me. Buttons doesn't complain, anyway."

Sebastian's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who or what is Buttons?"

"A stuffed dog my dad gave me when I was a kid. My mum helped pick him out and told me that was his name because he and I were cute as...well, you see where this is going. When he died a few years ago and I went home to see if there was something other than pictures of him I wanted to hold on to, I found Buttons in a box in the attic and it was like he'd never left. I keep him next to my pillow so..." Jenson's voice trailed off and he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "So I can remember the years I had with him more than the years I've had without."

Gently Sebastian put his arm around Jenson's waist, feeling the slightest tremble underneath the older man's t-shirt. "I'm not a hugging person but I thought you might need...how do I say this...".

"Aw, mate. I'll take what I can get. By the way..."

"Yes?"

He couldn't resist flashing a megawatt smile as he watched the color rising in Sebastian's cheeks. "You're blushing."

"Paska."

"Any particular reason why?"

The explanation forming in his mind made it no further than "I feel stuff" before Kimi cleared his throat to bring the room to order. "Sooner we finish, sooner I sleep more."

"I know how you feel." Lewis yawned, raising both arms above his head and trying to bring one down around Nico, who laughed and quickly scooted away from him. "What's all this about anyway?"

Kimi pointed to Jenson. "Ask him."

"Thank you, Kimi. Gentlemen, we are about to embark on what is perhaps the most important gig we've ever done."

"New York next week?" asked Nico. "I mean, yeah, it's a big deal, but no more than last year's."

"We're staying a day longer and that gives me time to have pizza." Sebastian licked his lips.

"I get an extra day to explore the city, then," added Lewis. "Sweet."

"Yeah, but none of that is as massive as this. Remember that morning when Mark sent us out to the car to get the shopping and and we came in and saw Fernando holding his hand?"

Everyone nodded.

"That's not the first time any of us have seen something like that, is it?"

Kimi was the first to speak. "I see Fernando pull Mark's ear."

"Remember New Year's Eve? Mark wiped confetti off Fernando's nose and they were so drunk Mark sang Summer of '69?" Sebastian giggled. "I thought they were going to kiss at midnight."

"I remember that one! We should probably never be trusted with a karaoke machine again."

Nico poked Lewis in the ribs. "Least of all you. But there's more that you pick up just by living with them in my opinion. Think about it. When Fernando's annoyed about something, who's the first to tell us on his behalf?"

"Mark!" they called out in unison.

Jenson looked thoughtfully into the distance. "And vice versa. You should see how they look at each other when they think no one else is there. We're talking cartoon hearts in their eyes. Therefore..."

Lewis poked Nico in the arm. "Love is in the air."

"And we're going to do something about it. Here's the plan: before we get to NYC we'll make reservations for two under the last name Alonso at the most romantic restaurant we can find. Once we're there we'll pretend we're all going out to dinner together and stand them up. Mark will think Fernando's taken him on a surprise date. Fernando will wonder what's gone on but with his boyfriend-to-be already swept off his feet he can't just  _not_ take him to dinner. At the end of the night they'll arrive back at the hotel only to find..." Jenson gasped and widened his eyes. "There's been a terrible mistake and they're booked in the honeymoon suite!"

"What do we do during dinner?" asked Sebastian. "Obviously we can't hang around and watch through the windows."

Nico smacked his palm against his forehead. "That's it! Seb, have you still got a telephoto lens for your camera?"

Sebastian looked dubious. "Yes..."

"Then you can pretend you're photographing the building or something and be our eyes."

Lewis grinned. "That's brilliant, man. How about we all chip in for some champagne for the occasion?"

The others nodded in agreement except for Kimi. "Is not really a good idea to spy on the bosses..."

Jenson held out his hand. "I will personally buy you all the ice cream and vodka you want if you go along with this. Deal?"

Kimi shook it firmly. "Deal. I like strong drink and strawberry swirl. No cheap shit."

"I'll make a note of it. Any other suggestions or objections?"

"How sure are you this will work?" asked Lewis.

"Surer than I am that England will win the World Cup. Anyone else?"

Everyone shook their heads. "In that case, this secret meeting is now over. Back to bed."

Nico yawned and rubbed his eyes, stumbling slightly as he stood. "Next time can we hold a secret meeting that isn't in the middle of the night?"

"I second Princess Rosberg's vote." Lewis chuckled. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Get some beauty sleep, Lewis," he softly called over his shoulder as he turned the lock on Kimi's door, opened it, and walked away. "Maybe it'll help."

"Should we send the two of you on a date in France?" Sebastian appeared at Lewis's side. "I think Monaco is his favorite place."

"Ooh, good thinking, Seb," Jenson chimed in. "If Mark and Fernando go according to plan, d'you want to be our next attempt at aiming Cupid's arrows?"

Lewis patted Jenson's arm then made his way out the door. "No thanks, I'm good. See you at breakfast. Goodnight!"

Sebastian and Jenson then turned to face Kimi, whose lips twitched in something that would have resembled a smile if you squinted enough. "Is always you two, you know."

"What about us two?" Sebastian frowned . "We just happen to be the last ones telling you goodnight."

"Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Kimi's lips twitched again. "Always you two. Goodnight."

As they walked away and down the hallway still holding on to each other, the echo of Kimi's words rang out in Sebastian's thoughts.  _Always you two._ They were each other's closest friend and Jenson had been a mentor of sorts from the beginning, helping him improve his singing and giving him impromptu guitar lessons in his room. Of course it would always be the two of them; what else would it be? He liked to think they had bonded on and off the road if that was what Kimi meant, though by virtue of being spoken by the ever enigmatic Kimi he couldn't be sure.  _He can't possibly know I...feel stuff about Jenson. Scheisse. There has to be a better way to tell him._

They stopped in front of Sebastian's door and Jenson moved his arm from around him, suddenly looking sheepish. "Well, this is it. We've got our plan and now all we need to do is follow it. Thanks for your help and for the...uh..."

Sebastian nodded in understanding. "Don't mention it. I'm sorry you lost your father."

"Thank you. You're a good friend even if you're not a hugger."

"Perhaps I am allergic and there is no cure for me." He grinned.

"Let me rephrase that. You're a good friend even if you're a little shit."

"My mother always said to find what you're good at and keep at it. See you tomorrow. Goodnight!" Sebastian laughed quietly to not disturb the rest of the house as he stepped into his room and closed the door.

Unbeknownst to him, he wasn't the only one. At the other end of the hall, surrounded by thick blankets and soundproof walls, Kimi lay in bed chuckling loudly enough to have been caught otherwise.

"Those idiots," he said aloud, folding his arms behind his head and grinning at the ceiling. "All of them so in love they don't know what the fuck is going on. Is nice." 

 


End file.
